So we are going to see the start of the professional evaluation of one Justin Pogge. It’s a good thing too. At least when he is in net the pundits are going to have lots to write about. One shot, he’s good the next- he’s a bum. Burke and Wilson need to know what they have sooner rather then later and well sooner starts now. If Pogge can’t play in the NHL we had better know now as the planning is well under way. As one scout told me after the last game, Burke isn’t done his evaluations yet, when he is the dominoes will start to fall. One evaluation that is obvious is that of Justin Pogge.
Sorry for the NFL thought, but I am curious, US newspapers are ceasing to cover the NHL in droves, yet our news outlets are all already down in Tampa for the superbowl. Seems odd to me, does it to anyone else?
Doug Gilmour is a favorite. Someone, anyone please explain to me why he told Damien he was paying for his current players to attend the event honoring the former captain this Saturday night while Steve Simmons’s story is that a penguins player is the one who actually paid for the tickets? No really, why would Gilmour lie about something so small, he looks like and would be a liar if this is true.
Suspended not suspended, injured, not injured WHO CARES…enough already. Why was this the only thing being talked about today? There has to be something better to talk about then this.
I will say it again, there is no better player in the game today then Alexander Ovechkin. He is the only player in the league I would pay to see, night in and night out. He is strong, he is tough, he is animated, he is talented, he is the guy the NHL needs to start selling as the face of the league.
Have all the good rumor sources dried up? Garrioch had the Leafs looking at Pronger, Hanky gave the Jay Bo to the buds his highest rating before a deal being done. Where are all the good scoops?
The Avs are coming up this week. Tucker and Red light Raycroft doing battle against their former teammates (or what is left of them). It will be very interesting to hear the interviews with Tucker this week and then to see his sideshow Bob antics take shape against his former club.
Ok sports fans, who pulls the trigger first, Burke or Colangelo? Which player gets dealt first, a Leaf or Jermaine O’Neal?
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Tucker will play like he hasnt played in years, for one game. And yes I suspect he will be a dick in the lead up, I am sure Brad May and him will dance.
Raycroft….all depends on whether he lets in a bad goal early and starts to get down.
Maybe Raycroft figured out what was wrong. It is possible that maybe there is something wrong in the way the Leafs handle and coach goaltenders? Toskola isnt as bad as he has been playing, or as his stats are.
Nobody really answers the question of what the problem is. Wilson knows he can play better. Is Toskola just not focussing because there is nothing on the line? He knows the team isnt very good. Don’t know what he is like, but other commentators around he league I hear speak well of him and that he is playing below potential.
Maybe facing off against raycroft will bring out some competitive spirit in him. That will tell you soemthing.
Completely off topic for a minute here: I don’t feel as sad to have lost Sundin as I thought I might. I see him in the highlight reels occasionally from TSN and what not. At first it was kind of weird seeing him in the Canucks jersey but now, meh, not so much. Now he’s just another player on another team. Weird how someone so high for the longest time on my Leaf favorite list fell so fast. Could be due to how all this went down obviously, just a bitterness there that lingers and stinks to high hell. Again not pointing blame, just really though, what a terrible ending… Damnit, there I go talking about it again. lol
Back to news at hand, so Pogge gets 1 game according to media reports and then sent back down immediately regardless of how he plays? How is 1 game going to help Burke & company determine just exactly what they have to work with here?
Would they really trade Toskala and have Pogge & Joseph back-stop us all the way to potentially the 2nd draft pick overall? (No way any team finishes worst than Islanders, no matter how hard they fall). What if Pogge does good, even great and then the wins motivate the team, then we go on a huge roll playing .750 hockey? Hey, crazier things have happened…
This silence from Burke is almost deafening (as in no real activity so far, and no that Robbie Earl player swap with Minny doesn’t count) – what is Old Burke up to?!? Should we be nervous? Just be patient right, yes, patience I know I know. Keep hearing that over and over, the man has a plan…understood.
So, here is my question of the day – if you were to purchase a ‘name player’ TML jersey right now, outside of Schenn, who’s would you pick? Is anyone else besides Schenn really safe?
Also, is it really true that Burke will not ask players who have a NTC to consider a trade and if so why isn’t this a bigger issue? I mean Kaberle & Kubina alone are huge trade assetts are they not? Ok, sure maybe he doesn’t like to do it, but to say that he just will not ask, period, is crazy IMO.
Sorry, lots of questions, just thinking out loud I suppose… š
I think Dom Moore is safe….geez he is playing well….he never was a 1st line player, bu he is playing great for the role he has. If your bottom 6 was filled with guys like that you would have a pretty good team.
I think Burke is evaluating….how often does a GM get the luxury of doing a deep deep evaluation with no pressure to do anything for 70 days.
Stick to the plan. I suspect the Leafs will be dipping into the UFA mkt for college players. This is why they dont care if they dont draft in the second and third rounds, they can find those guys there for a year or so.